


Wreath

by manaika



Series: Fabulous Family Chronicles [6]
Category: Hakuouki
Genre: Advent, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Family Dynamics, Gen, M/M, holiday fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2019-01-22
Packaged: 2019-09-05 16:03:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16813903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manaika/pseuds/manaika
Summary: Sano and Shinpachi spontanously decide to celebrate Christmas Eve. The Western way. Considering that neither of them really know how it proves to be easier said than done. But then again, as that old saying goes - nothing that's worth doing is easy.Note: Rated T, except it starts with smut. However, I really don't think it's graphic enough to declare it M. Still, be aware of this when clicking on the title. You've been warned.





	1. Advent

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I ought to stop starting fics before finishing other ones. I had a stressful past half a year and I do plan on continuing Pride after I'm done with this. I don't know how I'm going to update yet, since there are 4 weeks and this will have 6 chapters total, but we'll see. 
> 
> In case there are people not familiar with Christmas carols reading this, the one at the start is the first verse of “The First Noel”, the one from the first chapter is the second verse of “Deck the Halls”, for chapter three it’s the first verse of “Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem”. The poems at the end of the chapters are all excerpts from “Four candles of advent” by Royston Allen.
> 
> Betaed by the lovely galysh, who is a champion!

**Advent**

__

_See the blazing Yule before us_  
_Strike the harp and join the chorus_  
_Follow me in merry measure_  
_While I tell of Yuletide treasure._

The apartment was silent.

Silent and empty, and completely lifeless save for one room. It was such an unusual state that it would have been eerie, had it not been for the melody of their combined grunts and moans, and sighs, and cries. Or more like Sano's sighs and his cries, Shinpachi vaguely noted as his best friend and partner in all things drove into him with a firm thrust, just the way Shinpachi liked, eliciting another pleasured cry. He had anticipated assorted bed gymnastics to happen sometime today, but to be honest, he had not expected to spend the entire morning porking with Sano.

Not that he complained, mind you.

When the demon spawns and devil advocates they so lovingly called their kids announced at the breakfast table they had plans for the entire day, Shinpachi just knew something was up. He did not however realize that 'something' was the 24th of December until Heisuke pointed to the calendar, grinning like the Cheshire cat himself. Seriously. Like he and Sano were some couple of horny teenagers freshly in love that needed to spend Christmas sharing KFC together. Not that Shinpachi had anything against KFC, but his fried chicken was miles better than anything that damn food chain could ever dream of making, he mused, while muffling his cries in the pillow. That, and something about the way Heisuke had declared that they'd probably be "more than happy to be left alone for once" had just rubbed him the wrong way. But then again, having Sano for himself certainly had it's benefits. The redhead had wasted no time in dragging him off to bed since the door had fallen closed behind the boys. _Hours_ ago.

They hadn't left it since.

He felt a gentle pull around his chest, lifting him to look at the man above him. A dark flush was covering Sano from his cheeks almost down to his navel, as red as the outrageous hair that was glistening with droplets of sweat as it hung like a curtain above Shinpachi, caressing his skin. His slim lips were parted as he breathlessly gasped for air, and his eyes held a glassy look, lost in sensation. He looked wrecked and Shinpachi couldn't but moan again at the thought that it was all because of him. Wrapping his arms around the broad shoulders, he brought their foreheads together, their eyes inches apart, unable to focus on anything but the blue and amber of their irises, sky and fire dancing together.

Their lips sealed and Shinpachi groaned into Sano's mouth as he felt his peak approach, their looks meeting. The glowing embers of Sano's eyes danced with a hungry heat and Shinpachi could feel the hot breath against his face as Sano too succumbed to his pleasure. And when a strong arm lifted his thigh higher only to wrap the nimble fingers around his aching length, Shinpachi swore he could see stars.

When he came to himself Sano was already cleaning the remnants of their intimacy, trailing sloppy kisses down his back. Shinpachi said nothing, smiling instead, tired and languid. He liked it when Sano fucked him incoherent. Between their kids and jobs the opportunities to screw each other silly much less spend some quality time together fell short, and it usually wasn't but for a few hours that they were left alone (if at all), so it was kind of a nice gesture for their kids to give them the full day on this occasion.

Later, when sake had found it's way between them and Sano had pulled out the newest issue of the health magazine he subscribed to browse through while they rested, for some reason the peace and quiet of their home started to get to Shinpachi. Not that it was uncomfortable in any way, it was just… unusual. In a house with three teens it was never really quiet and even if being alone was nice for a while, it just wasn't the natural state of things.

And seriously, the excuse had been lame.

"You ever wonder what our kids think about us?" He asked, just to break the silence.

Sano looked up from his magazine with a raised eyebrow, still sweaty and a little flushed, and absolutely gorgeous.

"Leaving us alone on Christmas Eve." Shinpachi elaborated.

Sano shrugged his shoulders with a smile and took a sip from his cup. "It's Sunday. They always leave us alone on Sunday."

"Not for the entire day."

"Souji also doesn't hold the 'Happy Singles No Couples Welcome Christmas Luncheon Party' every Sunday." Sano countered and Shinpachi laughed, still finding the thought a little ridiculous. But then again, his younger self probably would have appreciated it. Maybe. If he hadn't been too proud to attend such a gathering. He sometimes had trouble remembering what life before Sano had been like.

"True, but that doesn't start until like one or something."

"You know they wanted to go to the rink before. Ryuunosuke really wants to learn how to skate."

"Nah. He just wants to impress Saitou."

Sano laughed loud and rich and Shinpachi grinned from ear to ear, as he relished in the deep, joyful sound, sipping on his sake before adding.

"I'm still surprised he's allowed to attend."

"Right?!" Sano barked another laugh. "With how things are going we better start saving up for the wedding."

"Oh I wouldn't count the chickens before they hatch." Shinpachi countered, winking at Sano's bemused look. "I have my own agenda on kids in law."

"Are you suggesting a competition?"

"More like a bet, really."

"Hmm… Stakes?"

"Loser gets the official grandpa title."

"You're on."

They fistbumped to seal the deal and for a few moments silence settled once more. Again it was Shinpachi to break it.

"When did they say they'll be back?"

"Sometime around seven, right on time for dinner."

"Good. They better fucking be."

Sano's face split into an amused grin at the commanding tone of Shinpachi's voice, and when he spoke, Shinpachi could tell he was close to laughing again. "Cooking's really grown on you, hasn't it?"

"I like good food." Shinpachi shook his shoulders with an answer that was neither affirming nor denying, but an accomplished grin still snuck on his face. Back when they had only begun threading the thin line between friendship and relationship and Sano had started crashing at his place five days a week, cooking had been a necessity. He had hated it at the start, the various equipment seeming ominous and overwhelming, but out of the two of them he had the better chances of not burning their place to cinders, thus he had sacrificed his comfort for their survival. But somehow, over the years and with his ever increasing skill it had become a joy. He liked eating good food and knowing how to prepare it was not only practical but also satisfying. Especially when the compliments about it had started gaining steadily. It was a win-win, really. He'd be a fool to rebel. Speaking of which…

"I probably should go do something about lunch."

The moment he spoke those words the both of their stomachs churned in unison, like a very bad orchestra lead by hunger and conducted by desperation. For a full second they shared a dumbfounded look before breaking out in a fit of laughter.

"Okay, I definitely need to do something about lunch!"

"Yes, please, I'm starving."

"Fine, fine, just let me get a quick shower." Shinpachi rolled onto his back, face still scrunched with laughter, before sitting up. But he didn't stop himself from taking one last jab at his best friend. "I don't want any of your DNA permanently glued to me."

"I thought you liked my come up your ass." Sano's grin as he sipped on his sake was way too shit eating. Shinpachi pretended to hate it, and paid back in kind.

"Oh, I do, but you know how it is. You let it stick, it may stay forever."

"I fail to see how that's a bad thing." Sano's smug expression begged to be wiped off. Shinpachi committed it to his memory like a treasure, before shooting right back.

"I'll remind you of that when it's my turn next time."

"Sure you will."

Shinpachi only snorted and wondered if it was too late to do something about that brazen attitude, as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

"Don't believe me?"

"Always."

He contemplated for a moment how perfectly that answer both confirmed and denied any trust Sano may have had in him, before deciding to finally drop the subject and go focus on food instead, as in the meantime his stomach might have just been replaced by a black hole. However, as soon as he started getting up, he realized he probably misjudged his condition a little, when hid head suddenly spun and he all but swayed on his feet. He had to reach for the nightstand for purchase in order not to slump straight back onto the bed, genuinely shocked. He hadn't been this worn out from fucking since… he really wanted to say since he'd been sixteen, but it really was probably since college. Ah, those wild days.

"Hey," Sano, that fucking prick, had the audacity to sound amused. "You okay?"

But still, Shinpachi heard the hint of worry behind the snicker and, well. There was something ludicrous about that question, so for a moment he found himself overcome with laughter.

"Never better." And just like that the shit eating, smug grin was back along with that brazen attitude that Shinpachi couldn't get enough of.

"Do I need to carry you?"

"Don't you fucking dare!" He exclaimed and slowly made his way to the door. "I may not be in my top form right now, but I am still capable of finding the shower. You monster."

"I didn't hear you complaining earlier."

Shinpachi turned from where he was pretending not to be leaning against the doorframe, only to be faced with that cheeky smile again.

"It was a compliment, you _dick_." He placed a deliberate emphasis on the last word, but there was as little malice in it as in Sano's reply.

"Love you too, _asshole_."

A quick shower later and a few ounces of assorted bodily fluids lesser Shinpachi stood by the stove wearing nothing but his green camo shorts and necklace, stirring the soup, while Sano occupied the bathroom for his "wellness hour". Not that he himself called the time that he spent in the bathroom that, because god forbid anyone dared to call Mr. 'I-am-a-simple-man' vain. That he was, in spite of three juveniles sharing their living space, the sole responsible for the obscene amounts of skin-care products lining their vanity was all but the unfortunate side-effect of his work duties. Because a photo model was "contractually bound to take care of the moneymaker", as by his words.

Or, as Shinpachi liked to say: Anything for Heisuke.

Nevermind the content sigh that left him each time he exited the bathroom after treating himself. Not that Shinpachi minded. In his opinion Sano more than deserved a daily "feel well routine", something to relax and rejuvenate him, when Shinpachi was too busy to do that for him. Although when Sano had heard him call his regimen that the first time, he only smiled, shook his head and declared that doing the laundry was not something that made him feel particularly well. To which Shinpachi had countered it took maybe a total of 15 minutes of actual work and didn't count. (And he would have loved to help Sano with it, but as the redhead always went into a frenzy whenever Shinpachi got in close proximity of the washing machine, he decided it was counterproductive to his efforts and avoided it.)

The low hum of laundry was replaced by the sound of draining water cutting through the silence, and he startled. Once again he was reminded of how quiet the apartment seemed in Heisuke's wake, or in the absence of either of their kids. Although Heisuke was no doubt the loudest, he really came alive when he had his two siblings around. Or when he fooled around with Shinpachi, but with his ever increasing workload and the rare occasion when they both had the time, this became a less and less frequent occurrence. And the one day they could spend together, that was incidentally also the one the whole world celebrated as a family holiday, both he and Ryuu opted to clear the stage straight after breakfast.

Shinpachi sighed, feeling a weird sourness creep down his throat, and he was left to wonder what the fuck had crawled up his ass and died. It was the same feeling he had felt that morning when the boys announced their plans, and he didn't understand it. Although he loved their kids he wasn't as family oriented as Sano, and usually jumped at any chance to be alone with the gorgeous hunk of a man. New Year was in a week, and they'd agreed to take their kids + Saitou + Souji + Kosuzu + Sen skiing to Biwako valley (but don't tell Shiranui, or they'd never hear the end of the "dancers aren't allowed to ski for a reason, pretty boy" rant), so it wasn't like they'd have much opportunity to be alone for a while.

Then why?

Why did he feel so fucking out of it, because their kids were out for one damn day?

"Do I smell my favorite food?"

Shinpachi startled from his thoughts to see Sano approach him, long hair still damp from washing and tied in a lose braid, a basket of fresh, dried, warm laundry perched on his right hip. He wore nothing but his track pants and the damn socks he _always_ insisted on wearing, much to Shinpachi's chagrin. When he came close, Shinpachi smelled the distinctive scent of sandalwood, aloe and tea tree that made him breathe just a little deeper. Sano set the laundry down and came up to him from behind, cheek to cheek as those big hands found Shinpachi's hips. Shinpachi smiled to himself at the unsurprising and welcome cuddly mood Sano always slipped into during these quiet afternoons, and turned to stir the miso soup happily bubbling in the pot. The oyakodon was mostly done as well, all it needed was Sano do the ironing, finish his regime and join him.

"Hmm… Didn't you say something about fried chicken?" His partner hummed when he spotted the contents of the bowls, his hip brushing against the softer parts of Shinpachi's behind as he moved his weight to his right leg, his hands roaming upwards to play with the engraved jade pendant resting on Shinpachi's pectorals.

"That's for dinner." Shinpachi corrected him, a huge grin splitting his face in half, his earlier gloom momentarily forgotten as he enjoyed the attention. "It still needs to soak a little in spice. For lunch I thought I'd whip up something quick and nutritional. You know. Since we're both pretty much famished and need to replenish fast, and all."

"Wise man."

A short while later they were sitting at the table, still as half-naked as they were earlier, only with Sano's hair undone now and his face all but glowing, seeming not a day over 20. The clean laundry has been distributed to the rightful chests, drawers and wardrobes, and they both were chugging down the food as if their lives depended on it. The miso was still hot and burned their tongue, and the bowl full of egg, rice and the leftover chicken that had not been prepared for frying tasted heavenly after their morning 'workout'. It was short of perfect and although Shinpachi spent a good portion of the meal patting himself mentally on the back, it just wasn't the same, with only a third of the table present. He didn't make any desert since the kids were out, so he merely pulled out some dried jujuba, Sano polished off a yogurt and they shared another bottle of sake afterwards.

"Thank you for the meal." Sano said, after pouring them and sighing with content. He relaxed, leaning into his chair and pulled his left foot up to rest against his right knee. "It was delicious. You're really good at this." He added with a wink, smearing the honey around his mouth rather obviously.

"Better than Chizuru?" He decided not to give into the compliments just yet, in a mood for a bit of teasing. The question made Sano freeze and look at him like he was contemplating whether it was better to risk a lie, or take a chance and possibly be forced to fast. On Christmas nonetheless. However, his eyes were twinkling mischievously and the corners of his lips were creasing upward, betraying the impish purpose.

Shinpachi laughed and shook his head. "You're welcome." Taking a sip from his cup, he didn't bother hiding his smugness. "You need it, you'll burn it later."

"Oh, I was hoping to."

There was playfulness and a hint of a promise in those words that should have prompted another laugh, but all it did was remind Shinpachi that only half of this day had passed. It felt so dragged out with them alone, it was barely bearable. It wasn't usually like this. Usually time flew by when it was just the two of them, but today was kinda… Weird. Or maybe he was weird. He had no idea. Sometimes Shinpachi had trouble understanding himself.

He must have taken too long to respond, because suddenly a much more sober voice was asking, "Alright, I’ll bite. What’s wrong?"

"Huh?" Shinpachi looked up from the cup he'd been minding in mild surprise, not expecting the question. He hadn't thought he had given Sano reason to assume something was up.

"You've been off all morning, ever since the boys left."

Shinpachi sighed even as he was smiling. Why was he even surprised? "It's nothing." He shook his head. "It's probably stupid."

"Tell me anyway." When Shinpachi gave his friend a look, Sano just shook his shoulders and sipped his cup. "It's enough to bother you on our day off."

He had to admit the man had a point. "It's just that…"

He didn't get too far in his explanation though as Sano's phone chose the same exact moment to vibrate with a new message. Sano rolled his eyes, which Shinpachi thought to be an odd reaction to receiving a text, but then again if it was who he thought it was...

"Sorry," Sano offered with an apologetic look. "Hold that thought. Just let me do this real quick." He pulled his phone out, lifting his index finger at Shinpachi.

Shinpachi waited as he watched his partner scroll through his messages, smiling in an odd way. Huh.

"What's that?"

Shinpachi asked out of plain curiosity but he did not expect what Sano said next.

His mind went blank for a moment for the foreign, completely unfamiliar sounds that left his husband's mouth instead of an answer. He could not make out a single word and he found himself wondering if that had been a foreign language he had no idea his husband spoke, or whether Sano was just trolling him.

"I'm… sorry?"

"It's from Shiranui." Sano looked up with a chuckle on his lips as he elaborated. "He wishes us merry Christmas, though I'm sure I'm pronouncing it wrong."

That stirred a feeling in Shinpachi's chest that he couldn't name, a strange kind of flutter right next to his heart. He didn't know what to make of it and he ended up sputtering as he always did, zeroing on the easier feeling to deal with – his surprise. "Shiranui celebrates Christmas? I thought he was raised in Japan!"

"Yeah, by a Brazilian mother and a father raised by a Chinese mother."

Right. Shinpachi tended to forget how very little actual Japanese Shiranui's heritage contained. But then again he had never… Ah, it wasn't like he was such good friends with him to keep track of these things. 

"His mom was big about the tradition and they didn't celebrate the New Year as we do already, so they did the Christmas thing instead."

"Not the same way?"

"They held the Chinese one."

Oh.

"He only started celebrating the usual one since he went to live with his grandfather, but he also insisted on upholding Christmas. Still does. I mean, it's just him and Takasugi now so I doubt it's very different from what we're doing, but I know he decorates, they have dinner together and exchange presents."

For some reason hearing that made Shinpachi's heart beat a little faster with excitement, although he didn't understand why. Or maybe he did, he just failed to admit it to himself.

"Did he celebrate it with you?" Genuine curiosity leaked into his voice, but if Sano noticed, he didn't comment on it, just shook his shoulders, while tapping his phone to write a reply.

"Well… We never really lived together, so it wasn't anything big, but he insisted on having me over for dinner and on buying gifts for each other. He still sometimes buys me something." Sano's thumb lingered over the screen no doubt formulating a reply in his head, when Shinpachi decided to interrupt the thoughts with a confession of his own.

"I…" The hesitation in his voice must have caught Sano's attention because the amber eyes were suddenly aiming their curious look solely at him. "When I was at the university, we didn't have many exchange students, but we had some." He expected a raised eyebrow, or a question what that had to do with anything, but when none came he simply continued. "I remember one gal from Germany, who was here for the winter semester, and... well. She was very surprised to find out that Christmas was a couple holiday spent eating KFC."

"Yeah I can imagine that." Sano chuckled and Shinpachi reminded himself that although it had been ages ago, his husband had once traveled the world, when he still had been competing.

"She told us about how big of a celebration it is in Germany. They get whole days off of work, the entire family gets together, heck they even have themed markets weeks before it comes around, and I guess I…"

"You got curious." Sano suggested, when Shinpachi paused in search for the right word.

"I don't know." He sighed, still not quite understanding why he was so interested in the whole thing so suddenly, years later. "I mean, it was fun listening to all of that, but it never bothered me before." Shrugging his shoulders, he thought back to the morning and how Heisuke had seemed to think they'd be happy to get rid of them, even if for a little while. "I guess with how the boys left us alone, I just… can't help but think about the 'family' part of the entire deal, or whatever. And remember how we used to buy gifts for the kids when they were still kids and spend the day together, so maybe I just miss that."

"Well…" Sano's voice held a gentle tone and when Shinpachi fixed him with his eyes, his smile was soft, almost nostalgic. "You always hated being left alone."

Left alone, huh? Maybe that's what it really was, Shinpachi thought, wondering if Sano had just hit the nail on the head. Although it didn't make much sense, as right now Shinpachi had the best company he could wish for. But then again, he was aware that his feelings rarely made sense, least of all to him. Sano was the expert in that field. It still bothered him though.

"I'm not really alone right now, though, am I?"

"Well… no." Sano's smile got even softer, in a fond kind of way. "But you know? You're not obligated to want to spend every Sunday alone with me. We can have company and still have a good time. We used to do stuff with the kids every weekend. I kind of miss that too."

Shinpachi looked at the table, contemplating that.

"Hey." There was a sudden spark of inspiration in Sano's voice, causing Shinpachi to raise an eyebrow at the redhead. "I have an idea. But it involves Shiranui."

"I'm all ears."

"How much chicken did you plan on frying?"

Shinpachi's second eyebrow rose, not quite following his husband, but he answered anyway. "Three humongous specimen, why?"

The left corner of Sano's lips twitched a little at his choice of words, but otherwise chose not to humor him with a reaction. "Three chickens, so that means six thighs, breasts and wings, yeah?"

"Great math, I'm impressed."

That too went ignored. "It should be enough for seven people, right?"

"Seven?" That didn't add up. There was the two of them with their three kids… Wait. "You want to invite the crazies over for dinner."

Sano looked at his empty cup. "We're all be having dinner anyway. I mean, if we're doing it, now's the time since it won't fall on a Sunday for the next few years. We could decorate a little. And buy some presents. Just something small, symbolical. If you want to."

Shinpachi wanted to. He really, _really_ wanted to.

"Where would we even get presents at this time?" His mind started reeling, thoughts zipping through his head a mile a minute, heart suddenly hammering in his chest with a newfound zeal. "We have no decorations either, how do we conjure up those?"

"Mall."

"We have no idea how it's even supposed to look like."

"You don't have to say yes."

Shinpachi paused, thinking for a moment that it would be wiser to say no. Aside of the fact that it would be far more stressful to shotgun a holiday celebration, _what if they did it wrong_? If Shiranui was accustomed to this shit he would know, and the last thing Shinpachi wanted to listen to on his day off was the asshole's contemptuous snort. He could enjoy the rest of the day with Sano instead, wait for their kids to be back for dinner and let this day pass quietly without a major family drama.

"No." He all but breathed out, the firmness in his voice surprising even him. "No. Let's do it. Let's call them." His heart beat eagerly and a grin started spreading on his face as soon as he voiced his agreement, feeling the familiar thrum of excitement return full force. Sano must have felt it too because the redhead was grinning back, swiping his thumb over the screen of his phone before Shinpachi had the chance to finish. "Call them right now and tell them to not fucking touch any of that goddamn KFC because today they'll be eating the best fucking fried chicken of their godforsaken lives."

"I believe they cook their dinner as well." Sano didn't bother hiding his amusement, but he was already holding his phone to his ear, waiting for Shiranui to pick up. "I hope they haven't started on it yet," he mumbled, looking at Shinpachi again. "When do I tell them to come?"

A brief glance at the clock told Shinpachi it was short of two o'clock, and dinner was scheduled for seven. Their kids would be back probably around quarter before. There was a little preparation left and if they wanted to decorate they'd need some time for that as well. Add the time necessary for shopping...

"Ah, Shiranui? Yo! Merry Christmas to you too." Their eyes met again and Shinpachi held up six fingers. Sano nodded. "Actually, that's why I'm calling. Have you started on dinner yet? Great, then don't. Because you're both cordially invited to the, and I quote, 'best fucking fried chicken of your godforsaken lives'. Shut up. What I'm saying is, you're invited to dinner, asshole."

The conversation up to now, if it could be called such, consisted mainly of Sano trying to overpower some indistinguishable shouts coming from the other end of the line, but that came to a standstill as the last part left his mouth. For a moment it seemed like the connection had gone dead, because of how silent it had become. But then there must have been a reply, because seconds later, Sano was speaking again.

"You heard me. No, I'm not delirious. Look, if you wanna talk to Shinpachi…"

There was another round of shouting and Shinpachi barked a laugh at the evasive tone he could hear even across the table. Then he heard nothing again, but there must have been talking, because Sano was rolling his eyes.

"Yes, I am. Yes, I already said both of you. Look, are you coming or not?" A pause, then, "Great! I'll see you at six, sharp! Yeah, bye. Say hi to honeybun."

"They're coming?"

The affirming nod was the only answer he needed.

"Awesome." Shinpachi grinned and stood from his chair, almost causing it to fall over from newfound enthusiasm and energy. "Get dressed. We have something over four hours to get this shit rolling."

"Aren't you suddenly lively?" Sano taunted him, but the mirth leaking into his voice ruined it.

"Shut up and google a mall that's open. We have a lot of shit to do."

"Aye, aye."

* * *

**Advent**  
→ _noun_.  
→"arrival", "coming"  
→origin: _lat._ 'ad venire' "to come"  
→1. the arrival of a notable person, thing or event. 2. the approach of a notable person, thing, or event. 3. the period of the four Sundays preceding Christmas.  
→synonyms: appearance, emergence, birth, rise, approach, looming, nearing, advance 


	2. First is Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took more time than I wanted it to take, but in my defense the last few weeks have been stressful. Next to moving driving lessons and my job I realized I barely had any presents at all. And now to top it I've gotten sick, lucky me. v_v But nevertheless I persisted so now you get to read the next part of my little Advent fic. Enjoy!

**First is Hope**

_The first noel, the angels did say_  
_Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay._  
 _In fields where they lay keeping their sheep_  
 _On a cold winter's night that was so deep._

Shinpachi didn't bother walking all the way to the living room as the door shut closed behind them, dumping the shopping bags right there on the genkan and slumping down onto the deck, letting himself fall backwards.

"Holy fucking shit, I'm alive."

Sano, barely standing, not even bothering to hide anymore that he was favoring his left leg, gave him a look.

"You agreed to this, remember? I asked and you said you wanted this."

"That was before I knew how exhausting Christmas shopping was."

Sano chuckled and pushed himself away from where he had been leaning against the door only to limp towards him and sit down.

"We need to get the rest from the car."

"Give me a minute."

"I don't know, do we _have_ a minute? It's past five."

Shinpachi groaned, but nevertheless stood up.

It took them at least another ten minutes to get the rest of the load, an act that Shinpachi was convinced set a new world record. Sano's limp aside, next to presents they had to move wrapping paper, a bunch of decorations of varying levels of fragility, and a Christmas wreath. (They had really wanted a tree but Sano hadn't thought they could fit one into the Honda). Shinpachi vaguely remembered something about 'keeping it small and symbolic', but he was probably the last one who should open his mouth, since he was pretty much responsible for the greater amount of their acquirements. But it really wasn't his fault that most of the stuff had been priced at least by half-off.

Fuck sales.

Even his _bones_ ached, down to their very marrow.

It was almost half past five. Their living room was full of bags and boxes they needed to unpack, pack again and/or arrange in a fashion neither of them really knew, there were three giant pieces of the common hen in the fridge that had to be fried and he was in desperate need of a shower, since he had managed to sweat through his shirt _and_ sweater.

There was no way they would be finished on time.

He still didn't think they got the right presents for the kids.

He was an idiot.

Sano took one glance at him and gave him a look so pitying that under any other circumstance Shinpachi would have punched him. However, after marathoning the mall up and down twice in all directions, three rounds of 'endurance sprints to the car', and currently stuck between 'decoration acrobatics', 'speed grooming' and 'xxl cooking' he had just enough of the Christmas triathlon to feel validated. Besides, it wouldn't be Harada 'Life Savior' Sanosuke if he didn't have some spare battle tactics up his sleeve. Along with a gentle hand to soothe him.

"Hey." Shinpachi almost short-circuited when he felt nimble fingers thread through his hair from all the manic energy he felt sizzling under his skin. He briefly worried about electrocuting Sano, but when that didn't happen he found himself wondering if a few moments to lean into the calming touch were to much to ask for. "Why don't you go take a shower and get yourself dressed while I go and see if I can make heads and tails of this Christmas stuff."

No, Shinpachi thought. He had looked forward to decorating, wanted to google it up to be sure they got it right and then help Sano put everything in place. He would have felt guilty to leave everything to his friend since Sano seemed to be hurt, though Shinpachi knew better than to ask by now.

Too bad they had to be effective.

He would probably only be in the way. Sano had at least seen Christmas decorations once or twice in his life and had an idea of what went where and how. He hoped it didn't require too much movement.

"Sounds good," he managed to press out of himself. "You gonna be okay?"

Sano gave him another of his looks. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

_"Because you've been hopping about like a bunny since we came back from the mall,"_ Shinpachi wanted to say. What came out instead was, "Just asking."

* * *

_It was the strangest thing how the usually slow and sleepy Kyoto came really alive on Sunday afternoon. The Daimaru department store was bustling, busy with families spending time together, the exuberant chatter of kids audible in the surround sound. Shinpachi remembered Sundays like this too, when their kids hadn't been "Big enough to manage on my own, thanks for the trust, Shinpat-suan." They used to spend almost every Sunday on some kind of family outing, either outside of the city or downtown in the busy streets. Daimaru had been a frequent destination, which was maybe why they had headed there first._  
  
_Although he had been skeptical about getting Christmas themed stuff in the most traditional town of them all, they at least managed to get everyone a present. Now the only thing left on the shopping list were decorations. They had purposefully left that part to the end, because the gifts had been more important and it would give them more time to think about how they wanted to decorate their place._  
  
_Not that they were any closer to solving that issue._  
  
_"What the fuck is a Christmas Wreath? I thought it was supposed to be a tree."_  
  
_Sano, balancing his weight mostly on his right leg and with a stiff impatience in his stance, rolled his eyes._  
  
_"Yes, but please consider that the space in the car is limited. We can't fit a tree in there. And it's called an Advent Wreath."_  
  
_To Sano's credit, he had borne the entire shopping spree with heroic patience until now, not complaining once even as it became apparent that his left leg hurt. At the start of their trip Shinpachi thought it admirable, but as the hours increased and Sano got obviously worse yet still chose to keep quiet about it, Shinpachi's mood soured as well._  
  
_"You said there were smaller ones we could buy."_  
  
_When he saw Sano's jaw tense and draw a deep breath he knew he had to either feed him or put him behind the wheel soon, or someone might die._  
  
_"I also told you they were sold out."_  
  
_Not that he was any better. He knew he kept driving Sano up the wall, but that was how all of their shopping trips turned out in the end. Nothing new there._  
  
_"And a wreath is the same thing in small, or what?"_  
  
_"No. It has four candles you're supposed to light each Sunday until it's Christmas."_  
  
_"We don't have four Sundays, Christmas is TODAY!"_  
  
_All things considered, it was a miracle Sano wasn't breathing fire yet._  
  
_"It doesn't matter." He spoke very slowly now, as if each word took a huge effort and quite a bit of self-restraint. "It's better than nothing."_  
  
_"But…" Shinpachi frowned, still not convinced, but before he could have continued to argue his point, Sano used that tone._  
  
_"Shinpachi. Will you please just choose one?"_

* * *

Shinpachi stepped out of the shower with a sigh, feeling a little better and rubbed himself dry with his favorite towel. He still thought they could have fit a small Christmas tree into the car instead of the stupid wreath. He ended up choosing a pretty one with silver and gold candles and bells, and purple ribbons, he was proud of himself, but he couldn't just get behind the idea of it. He didn't understand the point. He got the concept of the Christmas tree – to put the presents underneath, but what was the point of having a wreath? As far as he understood, advent was over now.

Sano could be such a stubborn mule.

He put the towel aside to get dressed, but he didn't even manage to pull on his underwear when a crash and a curse interrupted his thoughts. After a second of terrifying silence he burst out of the bathroom and into the living room like he was chased by a swarm of angry hornets, images of broken limbs and emergency hospital trips springing into his mind.

"What happened?!!" When he saw Sano stretched out on the floor, covered in tinsel and bows and false holy his vision swam for a brief moment. The next one he was kneeling next to his partner, clutching his upper arm for dear life. "Sano! Are you alright?"

A laugh was the last response he had expected to get.

"Fine," Sano muttered, hiding the wince behind a snicker as he sat up. " Just tripped over my own two feet, that's all."

Shinpachi frowned, hand on Sano's back as he helped him up. "You never trip." His sense of balance was second to none and definitely not from this world, they _both_ knew that. The day that Sano tripped would be the day the Earth would fall out of it's orbit. "It's your left leg, isn't it? You're injured, aren't you?"

"I'm fine." Sano continued smiling that damn soothing smile of his like nothing was going on. "I just misjudged my step a little, that's all."

Shinpachi could feel his expression darken, wondering whom was Sano even trying to fool at this point. "Don't fucking lie to me. Do you think I'm stupid?! You've been favoring your leg the whole day, and you've been limping since we got back, so stop pretending you're fine and-"

"I'm not injured," he still insisted and it fueled something deep in Shinpachi, who could feel the irritation bubble in his chest.

"Sano…"

But before he could have said something he might have regretted later, Sano added in a much more placated voice.

"I just need new shoes."

Huh?

The confusion must have been visible in his expression because Sano sighed.

"My dancing shoes have become unwearable and it's bad for my feet. It will be better once I get new ones."

"Then why haven't you already?"

Sano deadpanned at him. "You have any idea how much those things cost? With everything that went on the last half a year I don't have that kind of money right now. And I'd rather avoid another illicit photoshoot if I can help it." In spite of everything, the pointed look that followed that statement made Shinpachi grin from ear to ear.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it off." But he was smiling too, genuinely.

"You know you could…"

"No," Sano stopped him before he could have finished the sentence. "It's my hobby, I pay for it."

Shinpachi sighed. "It's more than just a hobby at this point, but suit yourself."

"By the way…" He raised an eyebrow at the bemused note in Sano's voice, but when he saw the crooked smile he knew what was up before Sano continued. "Are you gonna put something on, or do you plan on staying like that?"

Shinpachi, who had during the last half a minute of their talk relaxed into a comfortable Turkish seat, grinned.

"Would you like me to?" He leaned back and cocked his head, confidence oozing out of his every pore. But who wouldn't be oozing confidence if they had such a scorching look directed at them. When Sano raked his eyes down his body they lingered there for an obscene amount of time before he lifted them again to look at Shinpachi.

"It's a good look on you." He played it cool, but Shinpachi saw the molten gold of his eyes glint at him. "Takasugi would love it, I'm sure."

Shinpachi barked a laugh.

"Yeah and he's the only one, huh?"

Sano's smirk was all too coy.

"Well," His chain jingled softly as Shinpachi slid on his knees and slithered towards Sano like a panther on a prowl, edging closer until their faces were inches apart and he could feel the hot breath against his skin. "Not that I blame you. This physical perfection is nothing if not meant to be admired by all of mankind…"

"Shinpachi?"

"Yes, Sano?"

"Go get dressed."

"You're so cruel," Shinpachi sighed, but nevertheless moved to stand up as Sano did the same, obviously considering the discussion finished. "Fine, have it your way. But first let me help you get this done, before you seriously hurt yourself."

Only after the first shock of seeing Sano spread out on the floor had worn off did Shinpachi notice in what a state of utter chaos the living room was in. And honestly, before Sano fell again and hurt himself for real this time he rather take the tinsel in his own hands, so to speak.

Not that Sano let him. Before Shinpachi could have reached for the glittery decorations and stood on the chair, his partner stopped him with a gentle but firm hand.

"No."

"But…"

"I'm serious, get dressed first." Shinpachi frowned. Or at least he hoped he did, because Sano was looking at him with the expression he usually reacted to a 'pout'. Not that Shinpachi pouted. Ever. "You would be more of a distraction than help, anyway."

… Point.

"Let's compromise." Shinpachi ceded. "I'll go get dressed and what you don't get done till I'm ready you'll leave to me, okay?"

"Deal."

It almost startled him how fast Sano agreed to it, but he decided not to question it too much. Speaking of clothes, Shinpachi realized he had no idea what to wear for the occasion.

"By the way…" He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Any dress code I need to follow?"

"Nah," Sano shook his head. "Casual elegant, I'd say. That's what I always went for."

"Yeah? Because I heard something about Christmas sweaters, which sounded fun…"

A look of horror flashed across Sano's face for a brief moment. "No." He held up his index finger at Shinpachi, who couldn't help but laugh. "That's not a Brazilian custom. Forget about it this instant."

"Or what? You'll let me go naked?"

Score.

Sano's face went blank for a moment and Shinpachi knew that exactly now was the moment for a strategic retreat. Still with laughter on his lips he threw his arms apart and shook his shoulders. "Nevermind, I'll figure something out."

However, on his way to the bedroom Sano's voice stopped him.

"Hey." Shinpachi turned around with a questioning eyebrow raised. "Wear the black button up."

Shinpachi frowned in confusion. What black button up? He didn't own any black button up.

"The one with the gold trim."

Nope, didn't ring a bell.

"The one you wore at the signing." Sano's words still made no sense to him, until his friend didn't add the last bit of information. "When we got Heisuke."

Only then did Shinpachi understand that Sano meant the signing of the adoption documents, the day that Heisuke became officially their son… Or officially his son, but really their. What on earth had he worn back then though? It had been a formal occasion at the court and he knew Sano had wanted to wrestle him into "something more dignified than neon orange", a notion Shinpachi had resisted valiantly...

"That old thing?!" His memory finally sparked. He remembered that piece. It had been the only top they both agreed on, and he recalled feeling Sano's eyes on him the whole time. "I don't even know where it is!"

"Bottom drawer, in the back, on the right."

Was it only him or was Sano blushing?

Something about this situation seemed so bizarre, he simply had to check. Without wasting any time he took off to their room and sure enough, a few short moments and a little digging later he found the garment in question right there where Sano said it would be: At the far right corner of the bottom drawer among other things Shinpachi hadn't seen for years, such as their kimonos, some old kid clothes, and their nicest dress shirts worn on occasions so special they never saw the light of the day anymore.

As far as black shirts went this one wasn't bad at all. Made of polyester and cotton, it was a deep, luxurious black that drew the eye even without the golden trim around the collar and the sleeves. The buttons were golden too and when Shinpachi tried it on it pulled around his chest just enough for everyone to see he filled it out nicely, but not inappropriately. When he adjusted it, his pendant rested right between the second and last button – a perfect place to accentuate.

Yeah, he thought. He could work with this.

When he exited the room some fifteen minutes later he found that the chaos that had ruled their apartment earlier was gone, transformed into something… gentle. The tables were all covered in white tablecloth, with red and green decorations over them, and from the main ceiling light mistletoe hang alongside holy like a damn deathtrap. But other than that it seemed that Sano had abandoned the hanging activity altogether, because all the tinsel along with the rest of the holy and mistletoe were still in the bag in the middle of the room. Instead Sano had redirected his focus to boxing up the presents, an activity he was just finishing.

When Shinpachi approached him he looked up and a subtle smirk spread on his lips that was merely half on an inch away from being way too coy.

"I see you found it." Shinpachi said nothing, relishing in the way Sano looked him up and down instead. "I'm glad it fits."

"It's tight around the chest." Shinpachi said somewhat unnecessarily.

"I thought you liked that."

Shinpachi didn't say anything to confirm or deny that statement, only crossed his arms at his chest and watched as Sano finished tying the bow around what looked like Chizuru's present with utmost care.

"By the way, it's almost six."

"I'm aware."

"You still need to get dressed."

"I do."

"And shower."

"Your point?"

Shinpachi had to bite back a groan when despite their increasingly tighter schedule and multitude of tasks left to finish Sano looked completely unconcerned. When he stood up and put the present next to all the others arranged between the couch and the armchair there was not a single trace of hurry in his step. Not that he could have hurried much but Shinpachi would have appreciated at least some show of effort.

"I only need two minutes in the shower," (Shinpachi barely held back the bark of laughter,) "And I know what I'll be wearing." When he headed towards the bathroom he paused by him, holding up a warning finger, yet smirking. "Don't overdecorate."

And all that Shinpachi could do as he watched his back was shake his head. 'Don't overdecorate,' from Sano's mouth it might as well have meant 'don't touch any decoration,' thus Shinpachi was happy to ignore it as he grabbed the tinsel-holy-mistletoe bag and stood on the chair Sano fell off of earlier. It wasn't that Sano was bad at decorating, except he kind of was. Shinpachi had known even before they started screwing on a semi-regular basis that Sano wasn't into the same eye-catching, vibrant and shiny palette as Shinpachi. Sano had always liked the subtle, neutral and dark notes, perhaps with a hint of color to liven them up, but even then to Shinpachi's eye it had all looked bland. But the first time Sano had resolutely removed everything shiny and glittery that Shinpachi had put up on one occasion, he had learned to tone it down just enough to still be vibrant and colorful, but not enough to "burn Sano's retinas". In turn Sano had sucked it up and learned to tolerate his artistic bouts to the extent that he let Shinpachi put up one glittery thing per room on very special occasions.

And as far as Shinpachi was concerned, this counted as such.

He hung the green, red and gold tinsel along the top shelves of the cd racks and book cases, fastening the holy on the green ones and mistletoe on the red ones, before moving to place small accents like candles and evergreens all across the room. As he was arranging them across the window pane he noticed that Sano had placed the wreath on the coffee table, visible upon entering the living room and he couldn't help but huff. He still couldn't identify himself with the thing, but it was too late to change it now. Shiranui and Takasugi would be here any minute.

Luckily, decorating didn't take as much time as he thought it would and he even had the time to put the rice into the cooker and turn on the oven to preheat. No sooner than he turned the button he heard the bathroom door open, the subtle sigh he would recognize in a million, and a few seconds later the familiar gait turned the corner.

"Wow."

Shinpachi turned around to see Sano standing in the middle of the room, naked save for the socks and the towel around his waist, looking around the room as if he was seeing it for the first time, his expression completely unreadable.

"You outdid yourself."

Shinpachi felt a bout of self-conciousness, suddenly unsure whether or not he hit the right note with the arrangement.

"Yeah?" He approached Sano rubbing his hands against his pants. "Is it… okay?"

"More than okay." Came the surprising answer. "It's amazing, but it looks a lot like what Shiranui does."

"Yeah?" Shinpachi released the breath he'd been holding. When he raised his eyes again, he noticed Sano looking at him in a strange way, but before he could have said anything, Shinpachi changed the topic. "What's amazing that we got done on time," he glanced at the clock. "Barely."

It was past six. If Shiranui was the punctual type they'd be in deep shit.

"It's a good thing that Shiranui is fashionably late to everything." Sano's arms snaked around him and Shinpachi couldn't resist resting his head against the broad shoulder, finally able to relax.

"You know, you could have pointed that out sooner."

"I didn't think I had to." Sano sounded more amused than he should have been allowed to be. "It's not like you don't know that by now."

Shinpachi knew. But a friendly reminder if only to destress him would have been nice.

"Hey."

"Hm?"

"Does it really look okay?" He lifted his head to face Sano. "It's not too tacky?"

"And since when do you care about that?" Sano's tone was gentle, his large hand rubbed soothing circles into Shinpachi's hip.

"I just…" Shinpachi bit the inside of his cheek, not quite sure how to explain the insecurity he felt so suddenly. "I want it to be right."

Sano sighed. "You need to stop worrying about that. Shiranui will appreciate the effort regardless of how it looks."

It was like a lightning had struck Shinpachi when he heard those words.

"That's not… I don't…" He sputtered, but Sano just smiled, seeing through him completely and without any effort whatsoever.

"I know, I know. You don't give a single damn what that asshole thinks, something like that?"

Shinpachi had no answer.

Sano, apparently in a bout of mercy, decided to drop it there. Instead he just smirked and a mischievous twinkle lit up his eyes before he spoke again.

"By the way…" Without finishing the sentence he looked up and when Shinpachi followed his gaze he realized they were standing right under the ceiling light. Incidentally, the one thing that Sano had managed to decorate with the appropriate plants.

It was on purpose.

No way in hell it wasn't.

Torn between punching his husband into the face and laughing at the sheer naughtiness he did the latter, chuckling as he shook his head.

"You're impossible, Nagakura Sanosuke!"

Sano grinned and instead of an answer simply leaned down and kissed him.

With a sigh Shinpachi leaned into it, pressing himself against the broad chest, letting the warmth soothe away the strain of the past few hours. There had been so much to do they had passed in a flash.

"Thank you." Shinpachi murmured when they parted.

"For what?"

However before Shinpachi could have had the chance to answer, the buzzer went off, announcing their guests have finally arrived. It really figured. And just when the towel had started to slip off too.

"You know… We could just let them wait." The expression on Sano's face was reflective of how Shinpachi felt.

"Go get dressed, Sano." When Sano grinned at him, he smacked him in the chest. "This is the only time you'll ever hear these words, so you better listen."

"Will you make a note about it in your journal if I do?"

"Sano!"

In spite of his foot he was spirited enough to jump out of Shinpachi's reach right after uttering that teasing remark, while Shinpachi was reduced to sputtering, yelling and breathing fire once the shock passed.

"Get back here!" All that Sano did was laugh and retreat towards the bedroom. Shinpachi wanted to chase after him, but then the buzzer went off again and he was left no choice than to cede the point to Sano. "You'll pay for that!" He called after him even as he moved towards the intercom to let the losers in. If his lips were broad with laughter no one was there to see it.

* * *

_Hope that's a certainty, hope that is sure.  
Though the earth is shaken we are secure._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After I posted the last chapter I came to the uncomfortable realization that I obviously didn't do my research right about shopping, Sundays and Japan. I remembered somewhere being said that some department stores might be closed on Sunday and I took artistic liberties to conclude that a slow paced town like Kyoto wouldn't bother. How wrong I was. It appears, according to various sources, Sunday is when Kyoto comes actually alive and Monday is the slow day, when at least smaller shops are likely to close. The whole thing felt so much off that I felt like I should retcon. Luckily, after I checked I found out I only needed to remove two lines from the previous chapter to make it work. I apologize for this error and I hope you all forgive me this misshap. I promise to be more careful next time.
> 
> In case there are people not familiar with Christmas carols, the one at the start is the first verse of "The First Noel", and the one from the last chapter is the second verse of "Deck the Halls". The poem at the end of this chapter is an excerpt from "Four candles of advent" by Royston Allen. The next three chapters will feature excerpts from the same poem.


	3. Second is Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The guests arrive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, look it's an update. I know, this goes on longer than I wanted it to, but at least it's progressing? Once I'm done with this I will finish "Pride" and after that the ball starts really rolling, so prepare yourself for that! ^^
> 
> Betaed by my precious galysh, who is a life savior.

**Second is Peace**

_Oh, little town of Bethlehem_  
_How still we see thee lie_  
_Above thy deep and dreamless sleep_  
_The silent stars go by._

* * *

"Hi, losers! I trust you'll find your way!"

Without waiting for a reply Shinpachi pressed the button, the faint buzz and click in the intercom let him know that their guests were inside. Soon there was the sound of the elevator moving and Shinpachi knew he had maybe half a minute until he had to open the door. He checked himself one last time in the mirror, adjusted his bandana and his hair, straightened his shirt, fussed with his pants.

The doorbell rang.

"Do you know how to read a clock?" He didn't bother with a greeting, swinging the door open only to come face to face with a drowned rat. Huh. When did it start to rain?

Shiranui opened his mouth to answer, but Saku-chan was quicker.

"I keep telling you he doesn't. It took him ages to get dressed."

With a grin Shinpachi pushed himself back from where he was leaning against the frame to let them in.

"Better late than sloppy," Shiranui shot back as he entered, carrying a giant bag filled to the brim. "I have an image to keep."

"Didn't have much of a point, did it?"

Shiranui, water dripping from his parka like a leak in the shower, turned to give Saku-chan the most scathing look he could manage. Shinpachi laughed and asked somewhat needlessly.

"Is it raining?"

Now the irritated look fixed upon him with its full intensity.

"No. We took a detour through the car wash." Shiranui groused as he started shedding the layers of clothes, he had wrapped himself into.

"You came with the bike?" Shinpachi raised his eyebrow. "In this weather?"

"It wasn't raining when we got on it."

"I just hope the presents survived." Takasugi sighed, hanging his coat on the rack.

Shinpachi shook his head and thanked every god he knew that Sano had sold _his_ bike when kids had become a thing. Not that he hadn't thought it cool whenever his boyfriend flashed by him with a screech of tires and rev of the engine, but there had been no point in keeping it when a car became more serviceable for their purposes.

"I'll go heat up some sake."

"Oh god yes."

Shinpachi snickered at the despair lacing Takasugi's voice and walked over to the kitchen corner to boil some water. It didn't take long for the two of them to join him, all elegant in their fancy slacks, dress shirt, and fluffy pullover. For the first time Shinpachi noticed that Shiranui had tied his hair into a lose ponytail at the nape of his neck. It was a look seldom seen on him, which was kind of a pity and a relief at the same time. If Shinpachi had to hazard a guess, he'd say Shiranui avoided the style because of how fiercely androgynous it made him look. It was only underlined by the soft expression on his face as he took in the surroundings, seeming strangely… moved.

Saku-chan on the other hand didn't look much different from his usual self, except maybe more relaxed and comfortable. Comfortable enough to sweep his eyes over Shinpachi, from top to bottom and back up again, smirking exactly the way he was supposed to.

"Cool shirt, by the way. It's been a while since I last saw it."

"Thanks!" Shinpachi laughed awkwardly and scratched the back of his head. "Sano said I should wear it. To be honest, I didn't even know I still had it."

"Yeah, he's always liked you in black and gold." The unexpected mutter threw Shinpachi off, not quite sure how to reply as Shiranui fixed him with those crimson eyes. "Where do I put these?" He asked as he held up the bag he was still carrying, changing the topic as abruptly as the firing of a gun. All Shinpachi could do was nod to the pile next to the armchair.

"Next to the others, I suppose."

The same moment he spoke, he realized that as soon as Shiranui would see the gifts, what would no doubt draw his eyes was the-

"You got a wreath?!"

"Ah…" Shinpachi flinched at that reaction, but luckily no one saw it as Shinsaku was turned at the moment to Shiranui, and Shiranui in turn was focused on the piece of decoration in question. The tone had held enough surprise to bring back Shinpachi's earlier doubts. He had known it. He had fucking known it was a bad idea to mess with Christmas stuff they had no knowledge of, especially if one of their guests did this thing _every damn year_."Yeah. We really wanted a tree but…"

"No," Shiranui cut him off, voice strangely soft. "No, this is perfect."

Only the boiling of the water distracted Shinpachi from his stupor.

"So, where is Sano-chan anyway?"

Placing the tokkuri into the hot water, he turned to Shinsaku with a crooked smile.

"Getting dressed."

Shiranui, his usual self again, gave his partner a pointed look that made Shinpachi snicker. But not for long.

"You're not quite right."

The voice made them all turn and Shinpachi's heart did a little flip. He had never quite understood how completely Sano could transform himself while at the same time staying the same, but it was a talent his husband had down to an art. Merely changing his clothes and untying his hair turned him into an unreachable idol, and yet he still remained the same old Sano, just… fancier. He wore one of his finer dress shirts in a soft, silvery gray and beige pants. On anyone else the combination would have looked dull, but he more than just pulled it off, simply by combing his hair back on one side and wearing a golden bracelet that Shinpachi had gifted him once. But then again light colors have always looked good on Sano, the way they blended with the milky white of his skin making his hair glow all the more.

"Well look at you. Dontcha look fab, you pretty little thing?"

Shiranui seemed as fascinated by it as Shinpachi and all that Sano did – that cocky bastard – was to smirk.

If Shinpachi had said that, some kind of cheeky counter would have followed, but all that Shiranui got was that smirk and a massive hug as Sano approached them to welcome their guests. Shinpachi noted with a hint of relief that he wasn't limping anymore, at least not as heavily as before.

"'Pretty little thing' isn't the description I would use, Kyou."

Sano laughed and went on to clasp Takasugi's hand, giving him a one-armed hug.

"You know best how he is." Sano smirked, causing Takasugi to chuckle. "He should look into the mirror before he talks about fabulous looks." All of a sudden, a tiny frown appeared on Sano's face, as if he just remembered something important. "Did you get here fine? It started raining heavily about a minute ago. Do you need towels or something?"

Takasugi rolled his eyes, but there was a smile on his lips. "No, mother, we're fine. Kyou made sure to layer up like we're headed to Siberia." He nodded to the stack of pullovers next to their jackets. "Seriously, you two mother hens."

Sano deadpanned, but before he could have countered the tease, Shiranui jumped on it.

"Yeah, you're not the only mom in this family. Besides, your wife's heating some sake."

"Excuse me?!"

"What?!" Shiranui defended. "Isn't that what you call each other?"

"We don't _call_ each other that." Shinpachi could feel the mental eyeroll that Sano did, as he explained very slowly to Shiranui how exactly it worked with the names. "It's an agreement we have. I'm the mom, but only if he's the wife."

"Wait a sec there!" Shinpachi turned on his heels holding his index finger up. "It's the other way around! I agreed to be the wife only if you're the mom."

"That's not how I remember it, Nagakura."

"That's not my name and your memory is wrong!" Shinpachi cried as he gathered the warm sake and carried it over on a tray to the people he couldn't believe were his family. "Before the ceremony, you said, 'You're the wife' and I said 'Fine, but you're the mom'. And you said 'Okay'."

"Exactly. I agreed to be the mom, because you were already the wife."

"I married you on that day, how could I have been the wife before?!"

"You cook."

"You clean! You could have been the wife just as much as me!"

"No, because I knew you weren't the mom. That meant you were the wife and I had to be the mom."

"So, you knew you were the mom and that was why I became the wife!"

"No, I knew I had to be the mom because you were the wife."

"I simply love how pointless this argument is." Their attention was diverted to Shiranui, who looked like he had massive trouble suppressing his laughter just in favor of listening to them bicker. By his side, Takasugi was doing his best to maintain steady breathing. "You're both basically saying the same thing."

Shinpachi chuckled and turning to Sano he extended a treaty. "Let's just say we both said yes at the same time."

Sano crossed his arms. "You're the wife."

"Yes, and you're the mom. Your point?"

Shinpachi raised an eyebrow at him and that cracked a smile in his facade.

"Why does it have to be wife and mom anyway?" Takasugi asked, smirking that smartass sensei smile of his. "Why not just be a husband who cooks and a dad with exceptionally developed paternal instincts?"

Shinpachi had an answer ready before he even knew what exactly he was going to say.

"Because that's what we are." He shrugged his shoulders. "No joke in there. Besides, it's not about gender, it's about roles and we live in the twenty first century. Who has ever said that a man can't be a wife or a mom?"

"Let's toast to that!"

Shiranui's suggestion was met with cheers and they all sat around the coffee table. Sano poured the hot sake into the four cups Shinpachi had prepared, and they held them up in a toast.

"So, what are we toasting to?" Shiranui asked cheekily. "Husbands, fathers, mothers and wives?"

"How about we make it easier and just toast to family?" Shinpachi proposed and was surprised to watch a strange expression flutter on Shiranui's face for a split second.

"Sounds good."

"To family!" Takasugi exclaimed then and they all drank.

A pleasant warmth spread through Shinpachi soon after the shot slid down his throat that caused him to shiver and relax into the seat.

"I can't believe you even got a wreath." He heard Shiranui speak from beside Saku-chan, and for the first time he heard the genuine wonder in his voice. "Can I light the candles?"

"I thought you might want to," Sano said and handed him the lighter.

"Don't set anything on fire." He heard Saku-chan next to him warn and suddenly he was asking.

"So. What's so special about it?" Lifting his head his eyes met Shiranui's who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "The wreath," he specified, ignoring the resigned pull of Sano's lips he caught from the corner of his eye, and repeated his question. "What's so special about it?"

"Nothing, really," Shiranui answered after a heartbeat of silence as he lit the first candle, voice strangely soft like before. "It's just kinda special to me."

Shinpachi, the sake making him bolder, was about to inquire further when out of the blue Saku-chan exclaimed.

"Hey, when did you get a phonograph?!"

Shinpachi flinched and Sano looked up from where he had been watching Shiranui light the wreath. Takasugi was eyeing the box – the only box Sano didn't manage to wrap because it was too big, so he had moved it out of sight – with the picture of a phonograph printed all over it, something akin to awe reflecting in his eyes. Well, he had a lot to be awed about. Dressed in wood, with a shiny brass plaque and polished buttons to give it a genuine old school appearance, it looked like something out of a wet dream of every human who held the slightest of passions for music.

"That's so cool, I've been wanting one for _ages_."

"Uhm…" Shinpachi scratched his cheek and his eyes unwittingly found Sano's as he recalled the scene from earlier that day vividly.

* * *

_"Do you have any idea what to get for the losers? Because I don't."_

_Sano, leaning against the rail at the edge of the seventh floor of the department store with an exhausted look on his face, shook his head. "Not a clue."_

_They've arrived at Daimaru almost an hour ago and after some deliberation they decided to get the presents first and decorations later, since it seemed more important and they had no idea what to buy for whom. Ryuu and Chizuru had been relatively easy to figure out after a short brainstorming session and a walk through the electronics store, but the real beasts came now._

_"You have to know what to get at least Shiranui."_

_Shinpachi was sure the sound Sano made was supposed to be a snort, but it came closer to a sob._

_"What do you get someone who claims to have everything he needs and enough money for the rest?"_

_"I don't know. Something he doesn't know he wants?"_

_Sano gave him a look. "I'm not presenting him my naked ass."_

_That at least made Shinpachi laugh. "Fair enough. How about we split up and look around? Maybe something will catch our eye."_

_Sano stole a glance at the clock. "Fine. But if neither of us doesn't find anything, we'll meet here in twenty minutes. We still need to buy Heisuke's and we haven't got that much time."_

_"Deal."_

_Sano pushed himself away from the rail and walked off into a random direction in a pace slower and more careful than what Shinpachi was used to seeing. He wondered about that, watching his partner for a few short moments before heading back to the electronics store. He still had no idea what to buy Shiranui, but at least he knew where he was likely to find something for Saku-chan. He could look around, maybe they had some rare vinyl editions from Queen, or Bowie, or something._

_Not that Saku-chan had anywhere to play them._

_Shinpachi stopped dead in his tracks, causing the couple behind him to bump into him._

_They gave him a dark look, muttering an apology._

_Shinpachi ignored them and wondered how much a phonograph might cost and whether the store sold any._

_Ten minutes later he pressed number one on speed dial._

_Sano picked up after two rings._

_"Hey. I might have found something. You had any luck?"_

_"Not really."_

_"Can you come here? I'm in the music department of the electronics store, a little further than all the records are."_

_It took him ten more minutes to find Shinpachi and five more minutes of silent arguing before he was willing to even accept it as a possibility._

_"I know, okay? I know. It springs the budget a little-"_

_"A little?"_

_"But we're doing it this once, you've probably gotten enough presents from Shiranui in the past to owe him, and I know for a fact that Saku-chan's soul is crying for one of these. And it's on sale, it won't get cheaper than this! The only thing I'm not sure about is whether Shiranui is into it."_

_"Are you kidding me?" Sano sighed and gave Shinpachi his best deadpan. "He's dating Takasugi. And he has the entire Queen collection and some early Judas Priest records on vinyl."_

_"Shiranui likes Judas Priest?!"_

_Shinpachi wasn't sure which fact was supposed to stun him more – the fact that until now he had no idea that he shared one, possibly even more, favorite bands with Shiranui of all people, or the fact that the asshole had somehow come to own their best hits in analogue sound. It was too bad the tickets for their upcoming tour were all sold out or he might have been tempted to pump his fist over finally having found someone to attend their concert with him._

_"He's as crazy about them as you." Sano sighed again and eyed him with a weary look, like he knew where this was going and had given up on changing it. "You actually have a pretty similar taste, he just likes to drive Takasugi mad with Britney Spears. You're pickier."_

_Shinpachi laughed. Yeah, he could totally imagine Shiranui blasting "Toxic" from the speakers, while Saku-chan convulsed on the floor, begging for mercy._

_"Then he'll definitely like it!"_

_Sano hesitated for a moment, before repeating his earlier argument, but without any real force behind it. "It's still pretty expensive."_

_"We'll half it. And it's for the both of them, so if you quarter the price, it's probably not a lot over what we would pay if both of us got each of them a present."_

* * *

And that had settled that. They bought it, asked the clerk to put it away for them and picked it up when they were finally done shopping, all of which lead up to this moment.

"Actually, that's yours."

Saku-chan whipped around to give Shinpachi a completely dumbstruck look. Shiranui froze.

"It's our present to you two." Sano added, when two completely befuddled gazes aimed at them.

"You're kidding." Saku-chan looked at them like they've both grown another head.

"Not at all." Shinpachi grinned.

"But that's… Isn't it…" Takasugi was stammering, but there was no hiding the exited gleam in his eyes, or the broad grin tugging at his lips. Sano shook his shoulders and averted his gaze for a moment, but finally smiled too.

"Look, you've both given me so many presents I probably owe you for an entire lifetime. Shinpachi said you wanted one, so there you go. It's for the both of you, enjoy it."

"Sano-chaaaan!"

Before their eyes had the chance to catch him moving, Saku-chan hung around Sano's neck like a huge, purple, living garland. Sano was completely frozen, Shinpachi could feel his eyes boggling out of his head and all that Shiranui did was laugh like the maniac he was. But even through his brief stupor Shinpachi detected a hint of fondness in the guy's laugh.

"Seriously, you're such a child..."

The quiet mutter was drowned however by Takasugi's cheers.

"Thank you so much!"

"Actually…" Sano finally found his ability to articulate again. "It's Shinpachi you need to thank. It was his idea, I just donated half of its price."

And just like that those beaming purple eyes turned their glow to Shinpachi, and for a moment he was overcome with a feeling of foreboding.

"Pachin!" Before Shinpachi could have blinked he had an armful of Takasugi wrapped around him. "I knew there was a reason why I love you!"

There was a cough from beside them.

"Oh, shut up, Kyou. You'd die to admit it, but you actually feel the same way."

Shiranui didn't reply. Shinpachi looked amused.

"Well, can't say that I feel entirely comfortable with that, but I kinda understand it too. These muscles are nothing if not-"

"Shinpachi."

Shinpachi rolled his lips together, but his grin stayed in place. Takasugi flashed a perfect row of teeth at him with a cheeky wink.

"I guess that's my cue to get off your lap, huh?" Takasugi asked but was already moving off of Shinpachi.

"Suppose so." Shinpachi decidedly didn't pout and resisted the urge to pat Saku-chan's ass even if only for the heck of it. "Don't worry, he's just worried I'll start stripping soon."

"And that's a bad thing because…?"

"He's afraid he'd have to share."

" _Shinpachi_."

Shinpachi took that as a cue to shut his mouth, although there were at least five comebacks he could have given to that. Luckily, Shiranui had it covered.

"As if you're any better, pretty boy." The needles that were Sano's eyes turned their attention to Shiranui, but the guy seemed unphased. "You love being naked just as much as he does."

"I do." He said that without an ounce of shame and Shinpachi adored him for it. "But I'm at least particular about who gets to see it."

"Oh really?! Are you now?" Shiranui barked a laugh. "I believe I have pretty recent photographic evidence that suggests otherwise, pretty boy."

"Exceptions prove the rule."

"True. And when's the next one gonna occur?"

Shinpachi had to bite his lip very hard not to laugh at the expression on Sano's face when Shiranui lifted a cocky eyebrow at him to go with that cheeky inquiry.

"Good question," he muttered only to rile his partner further up. Sano's expression when he looked at Shinpachi was unreadable.

"For a very long time."

Shinpachi, risk loving by nature, snickered.

"Oh, come on!"

Sano turned back to Shiranui and smiled.

"But, I'm really glad you guys liked your present."

Shinpachi burst out laughing. "Did you really just blatantly change the subject?!"

Sano ignored him. Shiranui looked like he was torn between obeying the warning that it was, and completely disregarding it at the risk of his life. In the end he chose to be uncharacteristically wise. Or maybe he felt generous, Shinpachi could never quite tell.

"It's great, pretty boy. We'll put it to good use, I guarantee you that. By the way," reaching into the bag next to him he pulled out a shoebox-sized present. "This is yours." Shinpachi saw a puzzled look flash on Sano's face, countered by the smug expression on Shiranui's before Saku-chan caught his man's attention back.

"You know what this means, right, Kyou?" Takasugi smirked, nodding to the phonograph, and without waiting for a reply he started to lilt. Shiranui joined him in less than a second, their voices somehow a perfect blend.

" _Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the fandango?_ "

Shinpachi felt intimidated and intrigued at the same time.

"That… just sounded strangely like a dangerous euphemism."

"You don't want to know." Sano interjected, looking up from where he was busy unwrapping the gift.

"I don't?"

"No."

"Okay."

"Chicken," Shiranui goaded.

"I need him sane for my purposes," Sano countered as the wrapping finally fell apart in his hands.

"And here I thought you needed him physically capable, not mentally sound."

Sano would have surely countered that too, had he not precisely at that moment opened the simple box the wrapping had revealed. Shinpachi didn't think he had ever heard him gasp like that. Curious he leaned over to catch a glimpse of what had startled his partner so.

"Shiranui! And I clearly told you nothing expensive!"

As it turned out, Shinpachi hadn't been the only one to notice the increasing difficulty in Sano's step as the packet contained a brand-new pair of shoes. And Shinpachi was no expert on dancing shoes, but those looked like they were made of genuine leather, perforated and pliant.

"Will it help if I tell you I paid for the half of it?" Shinsaku asked, sheepish. "I didn't know what to get you on the short notice, so I bought my way in."

Sano was still frowning.

"Chill out, will you? You've got no room to talk anyway, you got us a record player." Shiranui smirked. "Besides, I'm really doing it for myself. If I see you wince one more time during practice, I'll feel like a real cunt. This way I can torture you without any shame."

"I can barely wait," Sano sighed, but no matter how he tried to hide it behind lowered eyelids, Shinpachi still noticed the excited glimmer in his eyes, along with the soft lines around his lips hinting at a smile.

"You're welcome." Shiranui said simply, before turning to Shinpachi. "As for you…" Shinpachi's eyes widened, not having expected to receive anything from him. For a moment he was at a loss of words, confusion mixing with excitement. Even if their cover of mutual hatred had been mostly blown apart at this point, it wasn't like either of them would admit to any kind of sympathies for each other under the threat of their lives. Should he have gotten something separately for Shiranui as well? Fuck, what if… "Here."

Shinpachi stared at the plain envelope not exactly knowing how to feel.

"Uhm."

"Enjoy."

He didn't know how to respond to the forced smile either. Thank god for Saku-chan.

"This is from me." And what he pressed into Shinpachi's hands at the very least wasn't an envelope. It was square, smaller than Sano's but also a little heavier and it didn't rattle. "I was so glad they had them, you have no idea. I didn't know anything else, I hope it's your taste."

"I'm gonna unwrap the bigger one first." He announced to no one in particular, but Shiranui still replied.

"As you please."

Always having been the impatient one, Shinpachi didn't spend much time on the wrapping, simply ripping it apart. And then he froze. There was no way. No way that Saku-chan could have possibly known. Shinpachi knew he had never mentioned it, heck he had never mentioned it to _Sano_. And yet. And yet, somehow that sneaky virtuoso had known.

"Do you like it?" And still he sounded unsure.

"Are you kidding me?" Shinpachi managed to tear his eyes away from the complete collections of Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov and Beethoven, his three favorite composers of the classical era all bundled in three separate CD cases. "I love it!"

He really did. But he couldn't help the feeling of apprehension as Sano looked at him like he'd grown a second head.

"Since when do you like classics?"

"Since forever." Shinpachi replied honestly, chest tight. "I just never say it out loud." More like he had guarded the secret with his pride on the line, and now that it was out, he felt like he'd been thrown naked into the center of a circus, but he couldn't be angry at Saku-chan. Not when he realized the effort, thought and possible anxiety that his friend had to have gone through before choosing this present. "How on earth did you know?"

Takasugi scratched his head. "I had a hunch, but I wasn't sure."

"It's an uncanny ability he has." Shinpachi didn't know what look he must have had as he turned to Shiranui, but it must have been pretty funny since it made the guy smile. "One glance and he has all of your favorite music figured out."

"Merry Christmas?"

Somehow it was still a question.

"Come here." He said, but before Takasugi could have moved Shinpachi hugged him. He was aware of how conspicuously silent Sano was, but not wanting to ruin the moment (or discuss his failings to communicate this peculiar interest in front of their guests) he didn't say anything. There would be plenty of time to bring it up later. "Best present! Nothing's gonna top this."

"You haven't looked into the envelope yet," Saku-chan winked.

True, but he doubted Shiranui's would hit the nail on the head as precisely as Saku-chan's.

"You know what it is then?" He asked, already tearing the paper up at the edge.

Takasugi hummed in answer, but Shinpachi didn't have the chance to reply anymore, as he pulled out two concert tickets. Not just any concert tickets. VIP tickets for a concert he'd been wanting to see for months and that have been sold out about just as long.

Sano's eyebrows disappeared into his hair as he examined the two strips of paper that stunned his husband speechless.

"You're relinquishing your Judas Priest tickets?! Haven't you waited an entire night in front of your computer to order them?"

"Maybe." Shiranui said, voice flat.

When he didn't say anything else, Saku-chan was the one to explain.

"We intended to go together, but something came up and I can't."

"Shinsaku said you like them," Shiranui found his voice again. "And I know pretty boy sometimes listens to them as well, so. At least someone gets something out of them."

Shinpachi, still at a loss of what to say, caught Sano's eyes. A few unspoken words passed between them, before Shinpachi gave any kind of response.

"Actually…" He separated the two tickets from each other, pocketing one and simply handing the other back to Shiranui. "Here."

"Eh?" Shiranui gave him a funny look, glancing at Sano briefly. "Don't be crazy. You wanna go with Harada, not with me."

"Sano would come along only because of me." Shinpachi countered.

"I can't sing along," Sano shrugged his shoulder with a soft smile. "Go on. I don't mind. It's not like your friendship is still a secret, you know."

"We're not friends!" They both spoke in unison and Sano rolled his eyes.

"Sure, whatever."

Shinpachi wanted to argue, but when Sano looked away the will to do so left him. Shiranui meanwhile exchanged a look with Takasugi.

"Go ahead," the teacher smiled. "I know you want to."

Shiranui's and Shinpachi's looks met and the dark man smirked. "I guess it's date?"

"Oh no! Definitely not a date!" Shinpachi flailed his arms. "It's completely coincidental socializing of two totally unrelated folks with _shocking_ mutual interests."

"As I said," Shiranui's eyes twinkled. "A date." He actually had the gall to blow him a raspberry.

Shinpachi flipped him off.

The subsequent sigh from beside him led him to conclude that it was a good time to make an exit. Thus, he stood up, remembering he had a dinner to finish.

"Now, if you excuse me. I have a chicken to bake."

"I thought you said 'fry'?" Saku-chan lifted a curious eyebrow at him.

"It's what I call it." Shinpachi scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "But you live with three teens, you start prefer baking. Considering the amount of meat you need, it takes about as long."

"Need help?"

"Nah. You're a guest, you do no work. Go pick us some music if you're bored."

"I'm not bored," Takasugi answered as he stood. "I'm just trying to maintain some manners. One of us has to." He gestured between him and Shiranui.

"Next to that demon you're an angel," Shinpachi smirked and walked over to the counter where the chicken was waiting, prepped and ready to go.

"Hey!" Shiranui called after him. "At least I'm high class!"

"More like high ass."

"Is that how you talk to the man who's sponsoring the event of your lifetime?"

"You've already got Sano and Saku-chan spoiling you. Appreciate the challenge."

Speaking of Sano, the redhead was suspiciously quiet. A glance in his direction told Shinpachi that Sano was busy exchanging looks with Takasugi. And even though Shinpachi couldn't see his face, the expression on Takasugi's face and the shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter spoke with enough volume. All things considered, he probably should be grateful to be still alive. He decided to shut up for the moment and focus on preparing their food instead. Food never failed to put Sano in a good mood, only inferior to a gratuitous cup of sake. Maybe he should heat up some more.

"Hey."

Shinpachi looked up from where he pushed the chicken into the oven only to see Shiranui leaning over the counter. Before he could utter a snide remark, one word carried over to him, strangely humble.

"Thanks."

"Huh?"

"For inviting us."

"Eh," Shinpachi waved it off as he took the rice from the cooker. "I'm doing it for myself, really. Just… needed to scratch an itch, I suppose."

"Still," Shiranui shrugged. "It's the first time anyone invited us over for Christmas dinner. Most of the time I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who's celebrating it. The western way, I mean."

His voice was oddly quiet. Shinpachi didn't know how to respond, staring at his hands as they formed the onigiri. He decided to make his special grilled ones. He didn't know why. He didn't remember ever doing them when they were hosting those two.

"Maybe we should make it a tradition." He looked up to meet Shiranui's questioning eyes. "We do dinners occasionally, why not have one around Christmas?"

"That's a great idea!" Shinsaku chimed in from where he was still not done browsing through their – admittedly wide, but not nearly as impressive as the teacher's own – music collection. "I love our family dinners!"

Shinpachi grinned but didn't have time to form a reply when Shiranui spoke again, still in that weird tone of voice that Shinpachi couldn't quite describe.

"The Sunday before Christmas Eve would be nice."

"Figures."

At least Takasugi seemed to understand. But maybe so did Sano, judging by the look he was giving Shiranui's back.

"Fine by me." Shinpachi didn't really have to know. It wasn't like he cared anyway.

"Hey, Shinsaku!" Shiranui called, his voice back to normal again, trademark smirk plastered all across his face. "Put on the Nutcracker."

Shinpachi's gaze lifted in surprise. Shiranui gave him a toothy smile, shrugging casually. "I like it too."

* * *

_Peace, lovely peace floods into our soul,  
Peace of healing making us whole._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> About 'The Nutcracker', in case I need to explain this: It's a ballet composed by Tchaikovsky, which is if you remember one of the composers that Shinpachi likes. Incidentally it's also one of Shiranui's favorite ballets. I'm aware I'm kinda spamming them in this chapter, but I find their definitely-not-friendship fun to explore. It's one of the pleasant surprises that this fic had waiting for me. 
> 
> There is also an actual reason why I'm headcannoning Shinpachi with an affinity to Russian art of any kind, but it's not really a Hakuouki thing. His clan, Matsumae, historically ruled over northern Japan and the Kuril islands back when they still belonged to Japan. It wasn't until later that they got a second domain in Edo. In ancient times Hokkaido was also a part of the Okhotsk culture spread over parts of Hokkaido, Sakhalin, Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands. It's an obscure reference, but I like giving him that connection. As for him liking art in general goes back to the first few episodes of Hakuouki. Remember him citing from Heike Monogatari? Ever since then I've been headcannoning him as pretty cultured, except it doesn't show a lot. He likes music because who doesn't, he likes art because it's colorful and he has a passion for literature which will be shown in later parts of this series.

**Author's Note:**

> I am officially a year behind, lol. I had the inspiration for this last year when Christmas Eve fell on a Sunday. To clarify, in Japan it's not really a family holiday, but more like what Valentine's Day is in the Western World. And as I understand it, mostly for new couples, which is why the addition of Shiranui and his heritage was absolutely necessary - or so I keep telling myself. Also, 24th is the 'big day', not the 25th.
> 
> Happy Advent!


End file.
